In the first five years of our grant (NIMH R01 MH 15539) we demonstrated the feasibility of parents functioning as the chief developmental agents for their own autistic or psychotic child. The effectiveness of this Developmental Therapy was largely insured by changes achieved within the child and clinical observations. In this extension of our work, we intend to identify and establish some of the significant parental attitudes and behaviors contributing to the effectiveness of Developmental Therapy. The variables involved in the change in parents seem to derive from four general areas: (1) the development of realistic understanding and expectations from their child's skills and behavior; (2) the development of a better understanding of the child's skills and behaviors; (3) the application and generalization of this knowledge to related teaching and social situations; and (4) improved attituds including acceptance, comfort and enjoyment of the child, and improved satisfaction in family life. A series of studies are proposed for measuring and quantifying the significant variables in these four areas.